Page turning device for invalids



NOV. 12, 1946. Q DEMERS 2,411,084

PAGE TURNING DEVICE FOR INVALIDS Filed June 14, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 1INVEN TOR.

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PAGE TURNING DEVICE FOR INVALIDS Filed June 14, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORQ 6106 me 719 NOV. 12, 1946. DEMERS 2,411,084

PAGE TURNING DEVICE FOR INVALIDS Filed June 14, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTOR. g

Nov. 12, 1946. T. c. DEMERS PAGE TURNING DEVICE FOR INVALIDS Filed June'14, 1945 7 Sheets-SheetA INVENTO& am e r 5 Nov. 12, 1946. T. c. ISEMERS2,411,084

PAGE TURNING DEVICE FOR INVALIDS Filed June 14, 1945 7 SheetsSheet 5 56INVENTOR.

Tape mans NOW 1946. T. c. DEMERS 2,411,084

PAGE TURNING DEVICE FOR INVALIDS Filed June 14, 1945 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7IN VEN TOR.

jg tpemers Patented Nov. 12, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,411,084PAGE TURNING DEVICE FOR INVALIDS Telesphore C. Deniers, Lebanon, N. H.

Application June 14, 1945, Serial No. 599,401

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for turnin the pages of folios, booksor the like, and newspapers.

An object of this invention is to provide a device whereby a bedriddenperson incapable of holding folios, books or the llke may read and turnthe pages with a minimum of effort.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this kindwhich includes a supporting rack for the reading matter and electricallyoperated means actuated through an air operated switch set in operationby the reader, and which is automatically cut ofi at the end of eachpage turning cycle.

Afurther object of this invention is to provide in a deviceof this kindan improved means for progressively turning the pages and releasing eachpage after it has been turned. v

A further object of this invention is to provide a page turningmechanism wherein selected pages or portions of a book may be turned andmaintained in a reading position.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may hereinafter more fullyappear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combinationand arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understoodthat changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to whichfall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail front elevation partly broken away of a pageturning mechanism constructed according to an embodiment of thisinvention, a portion of the mechanism being omitted from the upperportion of the device, 7

Figure 2 is a detail side elevation of the device,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a front elevation partly broken away and in section of thedevice,

Figure 5 is a plan view partly broken away of the device,

'Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 'l---! of Figure 5,

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line,

8-8 of either Figures 6 or 7,

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8,

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuits embodied inthis invention,

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on the line il|l of Figure 4,

Figure 12 is a sectional view taken on the line I2l2 of Figure 11,

Figure 13 is a sectional View taken on the line l3l3 of Figure 4,

Figure 14 is a sectional view taken on the line l4|4 of Figure 4,

Figure 15 is a sectional view taken on the line l5-l5 of Figure 6,

Figure 16 is a sectional view taken on the line [6-] 6 of Figure 15, and

Figure 17 is a sectional view taken on the line |1-l1 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 20 designates generally a housingwhich is adapted to be positioned over the bed of a patient. The housing20 is supported over the bed by means of a supporting structure,generally designated The supporting structure 2| includes a base 22which is formed, as shown in Figure 3, of an elongated bar 23 havingsecured between the ends thereof a right angularly disposed bar 24.Casters 25 are secured to the opposite ends of the longitudinal bar 23and casters 26 are secured to the opposite ends of the transverse bar24. An upright standard including a lower post 21 which is secured tothe base 22 by bracing members 28 extends from the base 22 adjacent oneend thereof and a tubular standard member 29 is adapted to telescopeover the lower member 21. The upper or tubular standard member 29 hasthreaded through an upper nut 30 carried thereby a threaded shaft orelevating member 3|. The shaft 3| has a hand wheel 32 secured to theupper end thereof and the inner end of the shaft 3| is adapted to engagethe upper end of the lower standard member 21.

Preferably a ball 33 is interposed between the lower end of the shaft 3|and the upp e d of the lower standard member 21. The upper standardmember 29 is provided adjacent the lower end thereof with an elongatedslot through which a cap screw 35 engages, the screw 35 being threadedinto the lower standard member 21 so as to thereby hold the upperstandard 29 against rotation or turning with respect to the lowerstandard member 21 The housing 20 is supported laterally from thestandard 2| by means of a plurality of bracket arms 36, 31 and 38. Thebracket arms are connected at their outer ends to the upper standardmember 29 and are secured at their inner ends by fastening members 39,40 and 4| respectively to the adjacent side wall 42 of the housing 20.

' 3 The housing 29 includes opposite side walls 42 and 43, a bottom wall44, a rear wall 45 and a front wall 46. A top wall 41 engages over theupper end of the housing and the front wall 46 is hingedly secured as at48 to the forward end of the top wall 41. The front wall 46 comprises abook or article holder and has secured to the lower end thereof aforwardly projecting member 49 forming a ledge or book support. The booksupporting wall or front wall 46 is angularly adjusted by means of ascrew shaft 59. The screw shaft 59 is threaded through a nut carried bythe housing 29 adjacent the rear wall 45 and has a hand wheel 52 securedto the rear projecting end thereof.

The forward or inner end of the shaft 5 9 has swivelly mounted thereonthe rear end of a link 53. tally forward from the shaft 59 and isprovided with a right angularly disposed rear end 54 through which theshaft 59 loosely engages. The forward end of the link 55, as shown inFigure 17, engages in a slot 55 formed in a bowed bar 56 which issecured to the inner side of the holder or front wall 46. The link 53has extending transversely therethrough a pair of cotter pin 51 and 58,which engage on opposite sides of the bar 56 so that endwise movement ofthe link 53 will effect angular adjustment of the holder 46.

A book B is adapted to engage the ledge 49 and is opened so that thecover thereof will rest against the front side of the holder 46. Anelongated bar 59 is mounted on a bolt 69 extending through the holder 46and has a thumb nut 6| threaded thereon. The bar 59 isadapted to engagethe rear cover of the book so as to firmly hold this cover against theholder 46. A second bar 62 pivotally mounted on a pivot 63, carried bythe holder 41, adjacent the opposite side thereof,

is adapted to engage the front cover of the book so that the book willbe held in open position. I In order to provide a releasable means forholding the leaves of the book, I have provided a coil spring 64. Thecoil spring 64 may be secured to the nut EI and is adapted to. engagethe upper right hand corner of the uppermost leaf of the book. The bar62 is preferably of a resilient characteristic so that when a number ofleaves have been turned these leaves may be engaged beneath the bar 62.In this manner'the bar 62 will hold the turnedleaves and also the frontcover of the book flat against the holder 46.

In order to provide for the successive turning of the leaves of .thebook, I have provided a plurality of elongated flexible members 65. Theflexible members 65 are of light construction and each flexible member65 is adapted to be inserted between a pair of book leaves on an angleto the vertical, as shown in Figure 4. The lower end of each leafturning member 65 has mounted thereof an enlargement or roller 66 whichengages in a V-shaped track or slot 61 formed in a cylindrical member69. The cylindrical member 69 is secured by a fastening means 19 to thelower side of the ledge 49 and the slot or track 61 has an entrance orrelease slot II communicating with one end thereof so that the rollersor slide members 66 may be inserted in the track or removed therefrom.The upper end of each page turning member 65 hassecured thereto a plateI2 which is formed with a tapered openin I3.

A magazine or holder generally designated as I4 is mounted on the topwall 41 of the housin adjacent one side. thereof and is adapted toreceive a plurality of the plates or clips I2. The

Crx

The link 53 extends substantially horizon- 7 82 through which theflexible members are I adapted to loosely engage. The inclined surface8| provides a means whereby the clips I2 may slidingly engage within themagazine and will gravitatingly move downwardly and forwardly as theforemost clip is withdrawn by the mechanism to be hereinafter described.

A follower 82 slidingly engages the inclined surface 9| and haspivotally secured thereto a lever 83 which extends rearwardly anddownwardly and is adapted to progressively engage in notches 84 formedin the inclined surface 8|. The lever 83 constitutes a stop or holdingmeans to prevent rearward and upward movement of the follower 82 and theclips I2 engaging against the forward side thereof as the foremost clipis released. An upwardly extending rod or handle 85 is carried by thefollower 82 and projects above the open top of the magazine. In order toprovide for the progressive release of the clip 12, I have provided apair of elongated flat springs 86, which are formed at their forwardends with confronting bills 8'! engageable with the foremost of theclips 12. The springs 86 are secured to the opposite parallel legs 88 ofa U-shaped clip releasing member 89 which slidingly engage the oppositesides of the magazine I4. The U-shaped member 89 includes a bight orconnecting bar 99 connecting the rear ends of the legs 88 together andengaging across the rear wall TI of the magazine. A bar or rod 9| issecured to the rear wall TI of the magazine and loosely engages throughan opening 92 formed in the bight 99.

A spring 93 engages about the bar or rod SI and constantly urges theU-shaped member 89 to its foremost clip holding position. The clipreleasing member 89 is adapted to be moved rearwardly to a releasedposition by means of an elonated rod 94 which is secured at one end tothe bight 99 of the clip releasing member and the rod 94 is slidable ina guide 95 carried by the top wall 4! of the housing. The rod 94 hassecured thereto a plate 96 which is engaged by an elongated rod 91.guides 98 fixed to the top wall 41 and is constantly urged to a releasedposition with respect to the plate 96 by means of a spring 99 whichengages at one end against the rearmost of the guides 99 and at theopposite end against a washer I99, which is fixed relative to the rod91.

A vertically disposed shaft I9I extends above the top wall 41 and hassecured thereto a cam member I92 which is engageable with the forwardend of the rod 9! and is adapted to move the rod 91 rearwardly andthereby effect rearward-movement of the clip releasing member 89. Theshaft I9I extends downwardly through the top wall 41 and into a gearhousing I93. The lower end' of the shaft I9I has fixed thereto a spurgear I94 which meshes with an elongated gear rack I95 slidingly carriedby a guide I96 fixed horizontally within the housing I93. A motor I91which may include a speed reducing means (not shown) is disposed belowthe housing I93 and has a shaft I99 extending upwardly into the housing;I'93on i which is mounted a plate I99 having an eccentrically disposedpin I I9.

The rod 9'! is slidable in a pair of A pit man. III is connected at oneend to the pin I I9 and at the oppositeend to one end of the gear rack I05. In this manner rotation of the shaft I08 will effect reciprocationof the rack I05 and effect partial rotation back and forth of the shaftI I In order to provide a, means whereby the clips 12 may beprogressively removed from the magazine 14, I have provided an elongatedswinging arm generally designated as H2. The arm H2 includes an innerarm member H3 and an outer arm member I I4, which is hingedly secured byhinge means H5 to the inner arm member H3 and one or more springs I I6are connected to the arm members or sections H3 and H4 on the sidesthereof opposite from the hinge H5, so as to yieldingly maintain the armsections in alignment while at the same time providing a cushioningmeans for cushioning the arm sections when the swinging arm is turned toa clip lift-' ing position. The outer arm section H4 has mounted thereona right-angularly extendin clip liftin member which includes asubstantially U-shaped member H1 having the forward or outer ends of theopposite legs II 8 thereof formed with an upturned bill I I 0. The billH9 is adapted to engage within the opening 13 of a clip 12 and the upperedge of each parallel leg H8 is formed with a concave seat I withinwhich the clip 12 is adapted to engage. In order to provide for liftingof the foremost clip when the U-shaped member H1 initially engages aclip, I have provided an upwardly bent spring I2I, which is formed witha reverted-forward end I 22 engaging over the points of the bills H9.The spring I2! is mounted on a pin I23 extending between the parallellegs H8 and is anchored, as at I24, to at least one of the legs H8. Thereverted end I22 of the spring I2I constitutes not only a, lifting meansfor lifting the foremost clip during the movement of the clip supportingmember toward the magazine 12, but also provides a means for locking theclip engaged thereby on the seat I 20. A pair of parallel spaced apartlugs H1 one on each side of the member I I1, are fixed to the arm II4 toprovide guides for the clips 12 on the seat I20. After the foremost clip12 is engaged with the supporting member I I1, arm H2 is swung to theleft as viewed in Figure 4- and as the flexible member 65 carried by theforemost clip 12 is engaged between a pair of book leaves, the outerleaf will be turned with the swinging of the arm I I2. When the arm I I2swings to the left in substantially a semi-circle, the clip engaged withthe arm I I 2 is released therefrom by means of a cam shaped clipreleasing member I25, which is carried by a supporting arm I 26 fixed byfastening means I21 to the top wall 41.

The releasing cam I25 is formed with a convex upper surface and afterthe clip has been released from the locking lip I22 of the spring I2!the clip is adapted to fall rearwardly over the releasing member I25 andmay slide downwardly over the convex surface thereof onto the supportingarm I26 and depend within a receptacle I28 which is carried by the topwall 41. The motor I01 is stopped when the arm H2 has completed its pageturning cycle by means of a switch I29, which is secured to the top wall4! and includes a slidable circuit breaking rod I30 carried by a guideI3I. The rod I30 is engaged by the rear side of the arm H2 which movesrod I30 rearwardly and this rod at its rear end engages a resilientcontact member I32, which is normally in engagement with a stationarycontact member I33. The motor I01 has connected to one side thereof aconductor I 34 which is connected to one 'ductor I35 and conductor I31.

side or. a supply source and a conductor I35 extends from the other sideof the supply source.

Aconductor I36 is connected at one end to magazine when the switch I29is in circuit breaking position, I have provided a shunt switchgenerally designated as I38, in a housing I38 fixed in the housing 20.The shunt switch I38 includes a stationary contact I39 and a springpressed movable contact I40 which is spring pressed to a circuitbreaking position. Switch I38 is interposed in a conductor I4I connectedbetween con- Spring pressed contact member I40 includes a cup-shapedfor- Ward end I42 which is disposed in confronting position to the rearend of a flexible tube I43. The tube I43 may be provided with a mouthpiece I44 so that the user of this device may blow through the tube I43and thereby move contact member I49 to circuit closing position andthereby effect initial operation of the motor I01.

After the motor I01 is initially operating, arm 5 I2 will be swung in acounter-clockwise direction releasing rod I30 and permitting springcontact I32 to assume its normal circuit position with respect to thecontact I33. Arm III2 will then swing in a counter-clockwise directionto a position confronting the clip magazine 14 and will then swing in aclockwise direction, turning the page of a book which is engaged by theflexible member 65 and when arm H2 reaches the end of its page turningcycle, this am will again engage rod I30 and move switch member I32 to acircuit breaking position. A net I45 carried by a rim I46 which is fixedto the bottom of the housing 20, is disposed therebelow so as to catchany clips which might drop down or become disengaged without beingcaught on the clip supporting member H1. The top wall 4! is furtherformed with a receptacle I41 for holding extra clips 12 which are notbeing used on the device.

In the use and operation of this device the housing 20 is supported overthe bed, being adjusted by means of the screw shaft 3|. The book B isplaced on the inclined front wall 46 of the housing and this wall isadjusted angularly by means of the adjusting shaft 50. The flexiblemembers 65 are inserted between the pages of the book which are to beturned and at this time the roller 65 at the lower, ends of the flexiblemember 65 will be disposed in the right side of the V-shaped channel ortrack 61. The clips 12 are inserted progressively in the magazine I4,the follower 82 being moved upwardly and rearwardly on the inclinedsurface BI 'so as to permit the insertion of the clips in the magazine.When the reader desires to turn a page he blows through the mouth pieceI44 thereby causing shunt switch I38 to close and effecting initialoperation of motor I01. Arm H2 which will initially be in its leftposition engaging switch opening member I30 will swing counterc ockwiseor to the right and after arm H2 has released circuit breaking memberI30, switch member I32 will engage contact I33 and motor I01 willthereupon continue to operate arm I I2 completing its return cycle andlifting the foremost of the clips 12.

At the time arm H2.is in its clip engaging position. cam I02 will movereleasing rod 91' rearwardly so: that clip holding springs 86 willbe intheir released position. The foremost clip may thereupon be removed asarm H2 begins its'page turmng cycle by swinging clockwise or to the leftas viewed in Figure 5. When arm H2 is at substantially the end of itspage turning cycle, clip releasing member l25'will remove the clipcarried by the supporting member Ill and cause the clip to drop over thefront wall 46 and into the receptacle I28. The clip will hang downwardlyin this receptacle and will hold the turned page in its proper position.As flexible member 65 swings on its page turning movement the roller 66at the lower end of the flexible member 65 will move downwardly in thetrack 6'! and will then move upwardly on the left side of this V-shapedtrack. The flexible members 65 may be made from a cord or may be madepartly of cord and partly of wire as indicated by the numeral 65 What Iclaim is:

1. A page turning device comprising a book supporting raclga pluralityof flexible page turning members, means holding the lower ends of saidmembers substantially centrally of the book and'bclow the lower edgethereof, an oscillatable arm carried by said rack; means for oscillatingsaid arm, an apertured member carried by the upper end of each flexiblemember, means supporting said apertured members in side by siderelation, and means carried by said arm for gripping; the foremost ofsaid apertured members whereby the flexible member attached thereto willbe swung to the opposite side of the rack and a page engaged therebywill be turned.

2; A page turning device as set forth in claim 1 including means carriedby said rack for removing the apertured member from said arm when thelatter has completed a page turning cycle.

3. A page turning device as set forth in claim 1 including means forrendering said operating means inactive when said arm has completed apage turning cycle.

4. A page turning device as set forth in claim 1 including meansreleasing the foremost of said apertured members when said arm isdisposed in receiving position.

A page turning device as set forth in claim 1 including automaticallyoperable means for stopping said operating means when said arm hascompleted a page turning cycle, and means for initially starting saidoperating means.

lower ends of said members below said rack and in the transverse medianthereof, a magazine carried by said housing, means carried by the upperends of said flexible members engageable with said magazine for holdingsaid flexible members at an angle to the vertical at one side of saidtransverse median, an oscillatable arm, operating means for said arm,and means carried by said arm engageable with the means on the upperends of 'said flexible members for gripping said flexible members insuccession and swinging the latter-t0 the other side of said transversemedian.

7. A page turning device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said operatingmeans includes an electric motor, and circuit making and breaking meansconnected tosaid motor and disposed ina position at the end' of the pageturning cycle of said arm for breaking the circuit to said motor.

8. A page turning device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said operatingmeans includes an electric motor, a normally closed switch carried byxaid housing, and means disposed in the path of the swinging of said armfor moving said ing said switch to open position when said arm reachessubstantially the end of its page turning cycle, and a normally openshunt switch connected to said motor for closing the circuit thereto andeffecting initial operation thereof when said first switch is in openposition."

10. A page turning device as setforth incla-im 6' wherein said magazineincludes yieldablehclding means for the means at the upper ends" of saidflexible members, and means for releasin the foremost of said means atthe upper ends of said flexible members when said arm is insubstantially confronting position with respect to said magazine.

TELESPI-IORE C. DEMERS.

